In this companion book, you will find additional information to assist in the telling of the world celebrations found in "Celebrations Around the World."

Table of Contents

New Year                                                        page 4

Chinese New Year                                            pages 5 & 6

April Fools' Day                                               page 7

Cinco de Mayo                                                page 8

Holi: Festival of Colors                                     pages 9 & 10

Ramadan                                                        page 11 & 12

Passover                                                         pages 13 & 14

Easter                                                             pages 15, 16 & 17

Halloween                                                       pages 18, 19 & 20

el Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)           pages 21 & 22

Diwali: Festival of Lights                                  pages 23, 24 & 25

Hanukkah - The Festival of Lights                     page 26 & 27

Christmas                                                        pages 28, 29 & 30

Kwanzaa                                                         pages 31, 32 & 33

Final Thoughts                                                 page 34

New Year's Celebrations

* The first day of the new year has been celebrated by people for thousands of years.

* Different countries and cultures use different calendars and celebrate the

start of the new year at other times.

* Islamic New Year, whose New Year's date varies from year to year.

* The Russian Orthodox Church observes the New Year according to the          Julian calendar, which places the day on January 14.

* Chinese Lunar New Year (see next section).

* Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) is celebrated in September or             October.

Chinese New Year History

The celebration of the Chinese New Year began thousands of years ago. The original story tells of a lion-like monster named Nian terrorizing Chinese villagers. One year, a wise monk suggested the villagers use loud noises, and red paper cutouts hung over their doors to scare Nian away. The loud noises and red cutouts worked, and the villagers were able to defeat Nian. The day that the villagers beat Nian became the start of the New Year.

Fun Facts

* The dragon represents prosperity, good fortune, and good luck.

* Tangerines, peach blossoms, and kumquat trees are considered lucky.

* A popular greeting for the day is Kung Hei Fat Choy (We hope you get rich).

* Firecrackers are set off during the 5th day of the celebration to gain the attention of the god of prosperity.

Chinese New Year Traditions

Dragon Dance or Lion Dance: These dances are often part of parades and festivals during the holiday. In a dragon dance, many people carry portions of the dragons using sticks moving the poles to look like a dragon going up and down the street. Only two people dress in an elaborate lion costume and dance to mimic a lion’s movements in a lion dance.

The Color Red: The color red symbolizes joy and happiness, and it is the primary color for clothes and decorations.

Red Envelopes: Red envelopes are filled with money and handed out as presents to young children or newly married couples. For good luck, the envelopes contain even amounts of money.

Cleaning the House: Chinese families clean their houses before the new year to eliminate bad luck from last year.

Firecrackers: The lighting of firecrackers is traditional and used to scare away any evil spirits.

April Fools' Day

* Many countries have adopted the April Fools' tradition of playing jokes on people every year on April 1.

* It is unknown exactly how this foolish holiday began, but it is the one day of the year that people can be unabashedly silly.

* April Fools' pranks can also produce unintended consequences, especially with fake news headlines that maybe seem a bit too realistic.

* Although the idea of April Fools' Day is similar across the globe, there are minor differences and variations in celebrations from one country to the next.

Cinco de Mayo

* Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army’s May 5, 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. 

* The day, which falls on May 5, is also known as Battle of Puebla Day. 

* While it is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations.

* Many people of all cultures use this day to indulge in tasty Mexican food.

Holi - Festival of Colors

* Holi is a popular ancient Hindu festival, also known as the "Festival of Love," the "Festival of Colors," and the "Festival of Spring." 

* The festival celebrates the eternal and divine love of Radha and Krishna and signifies the triumph of good over evil. 

* Holi originated and is mainly celebrated in Nepal & India but has recently spread to other regions of Asia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. 

* Holi celebrates the arrival of spring, the end of winter, the blossoming of love, and for many, it is a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forgive and forget.

* It lasts for a night and a day, starting on the evening of the Purnima (Full Moon Day) falling in the Hindu calendar month of Phalguna, which falls around the middle of March in the Gregorian calendar.

Holi: Festival of Colors(cont.)

* The first day of the festival is celebrated as Holika Dahan or Chhoti Holi. After sunset, people gather around the bonfire to perform puja (prayers) and sing and dance.

* The second day of Holi is called Rangwali Holi, Dhulandi, Phagwah, or Badi Holi when people apply colors to one another, party, and have fun. They can use dry colors called gulal, pichkaris (water guns), or water balloons filled with colored solutions. 

* They also enjoy a special feast where Gujiya, a special sweet dumpling filled with khoya (a dairy product) and dried fruits, is eaten. 

* After playing with colors during the day, people clean themselves up and visit relatives and friends.

Ramadan

* This religious holiday was established in the 7th century with the revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad.

* Ramadan is the ninth month on the Islamic calendar, marking essential holidays and events for Muslims (people who practice Islam).

* During Ramadan people fast, or refrain from eating and drinking, while it is light outside. Once the sun sets, families meet for big meals, including stew, rice, dates, lentils, and more. People also have a morning meal before the sun rises.

* For the hundreds of millions of Muslims worldwide who observe Ramadan, the month is a time to focus on their faith and perform generous acts. People raise money and donate supplies to help others in need. 

Ramadan (cont.)

* Many fast to remind themselves about those in the world who do not have enough to eat.

* At the end of the month, families and friends celebrate “The Breaking of the Fast,” known as Eid-ul-Fitr. Eid is a three-day holiday that includes special prayers and meals. 

* Families pray at the mosque, thank God for sending them the Qur’an, and have special parties with new clothes, gifts, and delicious food. 

* Families sometimes decorate homes with lights and exchange gifts. 

* As for food, people eat all sorts of things, including candies and pastries—and during this time, fasting is not allowed.

Passover

* Passover, or Pesach, celebrates the freedom of the Jews from slavery in ancient Egypt. 

* Thousands of years ago, the early Jews, called Israelites, moved to Egypt, where they became slaves of the Egyptians. Moses, their chosen leader by God, went to the pharaoh, or king of Egypt, to demand that he free the Israelites from slavery. The pharaoh said no, so God sent down ten plagues (or punishments) to force the king to change his mind. 

* The word Passover comes from the 10th plague, in which the firstborn sons of the Egyptians died. 

* The Israelites were spared from the plague because Moses had told them to mark their doorposts so that the angel of death would pass over them. The son of Egypt’s pharaoh died from the plague, and in his grief, the pharaoh ordered Moses and the Jews to leave Egypt.

Passover (cont.)

* The festival of Passover is one of great joy, taking place for about one week in March or April. 

* A special family meal called a seder is held the first and sometimes the second night of Passover. 

* Before the meal, the Passover story is told through songs and prayers found in the Haggadah, the book used during the seder. 

* The essential food of the holiday is matzo, a bread made with only flour and water, and it is unleavened, which means that it is flat. This bread is a reminder that the Israelites left in a hurry without allowing the bread time to rise as they fled Egypt for freedom. 

Easter

* Easter is the celebration of Jesus Christ’s rising from the dead (His Resurrection) after His crucifixion, which took place on what we now term Good Friday.

* Easter is usually celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon following the Vernal or Spring Equinox on March 21st. Easter can be any Sunday between March 22nd and April 25th.

* It is the most sacred of all the Christian holidays or celebrations.

* Christ’s return (or rising) from death is called the Resurrection. According to the Bible, Christ’s tomb was empty three days after His death, commemorated on Good Friday. His followers saw Him and talked to Him after this. 

* Christians, therefore, believe that they have the hope of a new life (an everlasting life in Heaven) after their earthly death.

Easter (cont.)

* Although Easter is a Christian festival, it has many pre-Christian, Pagan traditions. 

* While the origin of its name is uncertain, some scholars believe the name probably comes from Eastre, the Anglo-Saxon name of a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility. 

* A month was dedicated to her, corresponding to our month of April. Her festival, celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox, contains traditions associated with the festival of modern-day Easter. 

* The Easter bunny and colored Easter eggs are two examples. 

* Eggs are painted with brilliant colors to represent the warmth and sunlight of spring and used in Easter-egg rolling contests or given as gifts.

* In the United States, we celebrate Easter in many different ways. Many people go to church, and others attend various celebrations.

Easter (cont.)

* Children often get a visit from the Easter Bunny and receive an Easter basket filled with candy, chocolates, toys, and more. 

* Many children participate in Easter Egg hunts. During an Easter Egg Hunt, children search for hidden eggs with tiny candies, toys, or money inside. Sometimes real hard-boiled eggs are hidden for the children to find.

* Easter is the second-largest candy-consuming holiday, and Halloween is the first.

* Every day, the Just Born Company produces 5 million marshmallow chicks and bunnies to prepare for Easter, making Peeps the most popular non-chocolate Easter candy selling almost 700 million for Easter.

* Jellybeans became an Easter tradition in the 1930s. Various companies make over sixteen billion jelly beans for Easter, and Cherry or red is the most popular flavor/color jellybean.

* Many candy companies also make more than 90 million chocolate Easter bunnies. 

Fun Fact: When people eat chocolate bunnies, they usually eat the ears first!

Halloween

* Halloween is sometimes called All Hallows' Eve. On All Hallows' Eve, ancient cultures believed that the souls of the dead, and supernatural beings such as ghosts and witches, visited the Earth. People lit bonfires and dressed up in scary costumes to drive the evil spirits away. 

* Halloween's roots date back to an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain. Samhain marked the end of the summer and occurred on October 31. Like Halloween, Samhain was a scary time when evil spirits roamed the Earth, causing mischief. 

* Samhain also originated the Halloween tradition of wearing costumes. On Samhain, Celts put on costumes and masks to hide from and confuse evil spirits who they thought would be looking for humans.

* Three common Halloween symbols are bats, black cats, and spiders. These three animals are associated with witches in the middle ages, making them seem extra spooky.

Halloween (cont.)

* Vampires do exist! Vampire bats, that is. These small, sharp-toothed creatures feed on the blood of large mammals, such as horses and cows. Vampire bats are commonly found in Mexico, as well as in Central and South America.

* The first Jack O'Lanterns were not pumpkins but rather made from turnips! Carving turnips originated in Ireland. When Irish immigrants brought this tradition to America, they realized that turnips were expensive and hard to find, so they carved pumpkins instead.

* The biggest pumpkin ever measured weighed a whopping 2,624.6 lbs. This enormous pumpkin grown by Mathias Willemijns of Ludwigsburg, Germany, earned the world record at the Giant Pumpkin European Championship in 2016. 

Halloween (cont.)

* If you're looking for the biggest Halloween parade, look no further than New York City. Each year, more than 50,000 people take part in the Village Halloween Parade, drawing more than two million spectators who line the streets to watch the fun.

* The famous, mysterious magician Harry Houdini died on Halloween in 1926. Every year on Halloween, people worldwide hold séances to try to communicate with the ghost of Houdini. A séance is a meeting of people who want to talk with the spirits of people who have died.

* If you want to live in a town with a scary name, you have many options. Try moving to Spiderweb or Pumpkintown in South Carolina; Screamersville or Goblintown in Virginia; Tombstone in Arizona; or Frankenstein, Missouri.

el Dia de Los Muertos

* Day of the Dead originated several thousand years ago with the Aztec, Toltec, and other Nahua people, who considered mourning the dead disrespectful. 

* For these pre-Hispanic cultures, death was a natural phase in life’s long continuum. The dead were still members of the community, kept alive in memory and spirit—and during Día de Los Muertos, they temporarily returned to Earth.

* Today’s Día de Los Muertos celebration is a mash-up of pre-Hispanic religious rites and Christian feasts. 

* The feast takes place on November 1 and 2—All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day on the Catholic calendar—around the time of the fall corn harvest.